Zoo a short drive from Wichita just opened ‘most ambitious expansion in its history’

If there’s one zoo animal Wichitans love, it’s elephants.

The Sedgwick County Zoo in 2016 opened a $10.5 million elephant exhibit, bringing in a new herd of elephants from Swaziland to populate it.

And if that doesn’t fully satiate Wichitans’ desire to see elephants, our neighbors in Oklahoma have just the thing.

The Oklahoma City Zoo, a roughly two-hour drive from Wichita, recently opened Sanctuary Asia, a $22 million expansion project to house its elephants, rhinos and a host of other animals of Asian descent.

The 6.6-acre project includes habitats for those animals, as well as other species at the Oklahoma City Zoo, including southern cassowaries, tanuki, red pandas, Francois langurs and Komodo dragons.

Elephants at the Oklahoma City Zoo now have a full 8 acres of habitat to roam, as the Sanctuary Asia expansion added to the zoo’s pre-existing elephant pavilion.

“It’s a lot more space, but I think the cooler thing is it adds a lot more complexity,” said Nick Newby, elephant manager at the zoo. “Both the rhino and elephant programs now have additional space to grow those programs. We’re super-blessed.”

In the middle of Sanctuary Asia, on a hill, is what’s called the Lotus Pavilion, a two-level restaurant and event venue with a balcony that provides a panoramic view of nearly all of the zoo.

The Sanctuary Asia project was the largest expansion in zoo history, said Candice Rennels, director of public relations for the zoo.

“We are very excited to share this new, spacious area with everybody,” Rennels said. “What we’re really excited about with Sancutary Asia is, of course, providing new space and homes for animals, and providing an opportunity for our guests to enjoy a new section of the zoo.”

The zoo in mid-October welcomed a baby elephant, Kairavi, who is now on view.

It was funded entirely through a 1/8-of-a-cent sales tax accrual, which Oklahoma City voters approved in 1990.

That sales tax accrual has paid for a number of new facilities at the zoo over the years, Rennels said.

Aside from Sanctuary Asia, the Oklahoma City Zoo is a unique place in that its animal hospital is open to the public.

Inside the Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital, zoo guests can watch veterinarians perform everything from standard checkups to surgical procedures on a wide variety of zoo animals.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Christmas and Thanksgiving.

It’s at 2101 NE 50th Street, which is barely off I-35 in the far northern tip of the city.

Regular admission to the Oklahoma City Zoo is $11 for adults and $8 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and older.

If you’re traveling for a weekend trip to Oklahoma City, the zoo has a special rate with the 21c Museum Hotel starting at around $220 per night. With the Kids Exploration Package, guests get one night’s stay at the hotel, four general admission tickets to the zoo, an “Exploration Package” to have fun at the hotel with, an in-room camping tent, as well as an OKC Zoo tote bag with a plush toy inside and more.

For more information, visit www.okczoo.org or call 405-424-3344.

This story was originally published October 26, 2018 at 5:53 AM.